The doorbell just made a noise for the fifteenth time today, your youngest child is whining and the oven is making an unsettling beeping noise you have never heard before. This is what it’s like in a day of life as a busy parent.
Being rushed off your feet at any given moment and feeling overstimulated at the slightest new noise around you can feel pretty overwhelming. This is why you need to keep a handful of chill out techniques at your fingertips to help you stay cool and calm as a parent.
When things start to get wild in your family home, you need some go-to strategies to help you feel calm and a little bit more like “you” again.
You know better than anyone how quickly your stress levels can climb from zero to one hundred, but with these methods at your fingertips you can manage these more easily. Although you will never fully find peace and calm in a busy household, hopefully some of these much-needed chill out techniques can help you to feel your very best even on the most chaotic of days at home.
Meditation
Sometimes you just have to zone out from the chaotic situation that is unfolding right in front of you. Meditation is a brilliant method to help you deal with anything that may cause you stress or put a strain on your mental health. A short ten minute meditation can help you to reset and feel an instant sense of calm when you need it the most.
Journaling
Every parent struggles with feelings of doubt, guilt and other extreme emotions. Being able to write down these thoughts in a journal is such a cathartic and rewarding experience. It can help you to make sense of any feelings that overcome you at a given moment so that you can deal with them in a rational way.
Talking
You can truly never underestimate the power of talking to someone you trust when you’re feeling stressed and tapped out as a person. When you’re in the trenches of raising small children it can feel extremely lonely and isolating, so make sure you confide in others and receive the support you deserve. A problem shared is a problem halved and it can take a lot of weight off your shoulders when you need it the most.
Puzzles and Games
If you ever get a quiet moment to yourself as a parent, why not indulge in an online puzzle or game such as a crossword? It can help you to switch off from what you’re doing and give you something to focus on. It’s also extremely rewarding to play puzzles and games because you will feel a huge sense of achievement at the end of it. Finding a game that you truly enjoy doing can transform how you spend your free time when your children go to bed too!
Going for a Walk
Opening up the front door and heading outside for some much-needed fresh air should never be underestimated. Going for a walk can help you to clear your head and give you some much needed contact with nature. Walking is also great exercise and it can provide you with a renewed sense of energy too. You may want to bring your children along for the walk too, so that they can run off some of their steam and give you some quiet time when they get home!
Taking a Shower
When you’re a parent, why does a ten minute hot shower in complete silence feel like a mini vacation? Taking a shower is the perfect reset for any busy parent who feels like they need a break from a loud and chaotic day. Get your partner or another loved one to watch the kids for ten minutes whilst you treat yourself to a well-deserved shower with all of your favorite products. You will emerge feeling like a brand new person, and you’ll be ready to conquer anything that comes your way!
Reading a Book
Settling down with a captivating book is something that you miss a lot since becoming a parent. Reading a book is such a calming and satisfying activity that can never be underestimated. Books are a brilliant way to escape the monotony of everyday life and give you a sense of purpose outside of your own day to day routine. You may even start to daydream about becoming the character in your book, which is a welcome escape when you’ve been parenting all day long!
Watching a Movie
It requires very little brain power and it involves sitting still on the sofa for a couple of hours. What’s not to love about watching a movie? Immersing yourself into a well-made movie that ticks all of your boxes is such a great way to calm you down and provide you with a sense of escape when you’ve had a busy day with the children.
Deep Breathing
Adopting deep breathing exercises on a daily basis will be your savior when it comes to raising a family. You’re going to feel ready to lose your cool at any given time when your little ones start to push your buttons, but deep breathing can bring you right back down to Earth.
Yoga
Stretching out your sore muscles, lengthening your body and setting a clear intention at the start of a yoga flow can put you in a brilliant mood from the moment you get started. Yoga is something you can practice from the comfort of your own home and you can even get your children involved too.
Baking
If you’re craving a sweet treat, why not get busy in your very own home and cook up something appealing and delicious? You might find the process of following a new recipe quite therapeutic too!
Online Shopping
Never underestimate the power of retail therapy! Shopping is something that makes every parent happy, especially when a brand new package arrives on your doorstep the next day!
Taking a Nap
It may not always be possible, but it’s certainly a worthwhile way to spend your time when you’re feeling exhausted and stressed out. If your children are still at an age where they take a nap in the middle of the day, why not take the opportunity to do exactly the same? A cozy nap on the sofa can help you to feel refreshed and calm rather than tired and frazzled!
Relaxing Games With Kids
When you start feeling stressed out, why not mitigate the situation right away and turn to a relaxing game that your kids can get involved in? Playing a game of cards with them and reducing screen time will help them to connect with you and bring a touch of peace to your household.
Reduced Expectations
Once in a while you need to reduce all of the expectations you have on yourself for the day and just allow the chaos to happen around you. At the time it may feel completely counterproductive, but it will help you to find a sense of calm because you won’t be stressed about meeting certain expectations in that moment.
Light a Scented Candle
Our bodies are incredible at associating certain scents with specific feelings and emotions. If you’ve ever walked into a familiar room and felt a certain way, it’s because your body has experienced it before and knows what to do. When it comes to relaxing at home, you need to find a scented candle that makes you feel cool, calm and collected. The most relaxing scents include lavender, lemongrass and vanilla so treat yourself to a new scented candle and turn to it whenever you need it the most.
Try a Beauty Treatment
Treating yourself to a fresh set of nails, a spray tan or a deep cleansing facial is the ideal way to restore yourself when you’ve been busy with your family all week. There is something special about spending time working on your own confidence and self worth, so choose a treatment that makes you feel amazing!
It goes without saying that your family truly means the world to you, but there are days when you could do with a little break to yourself. These moments are few and far between, especially when you’re the primary parent living day in, day out with your child. Whether you’re taking a well-deserved nap, or trying out some calming games to help you zone out, there are so many methods that can help you feel chilled in a chaotic atmosphere.
Hopefully, you can use some of the activities mentioned above to transform your day to day life and feel more at ease when you’re taking care of your children at home. During those moments when everything feels a little bit too much, you can take a moment to recenter using any of the given methods mentioned here today. Take each day as it comes and soon enough, you will be able to find the chill out techniques that work wonders for your mental wellbeing!